TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual, perennial herb, generally monoecious; hairs often hardened by calcium deposits
Stems trailing or climbing, 1many; tendril generally 1 per node, often branched
Leaves generally simple, alternate, generally palmately lobed, veined, petioled; stipule 0
Inflorescences at nodes; staminate flowers in racemes, panicles, small clusters, rarely solitary; pistillate flowers generally solitary
Flower unisexual in CA, radial; hypanthium > ovary; calyx (apparently 0 or) generally 5-lobed; corolla rotate or cup-shaped, generally 5-lobed; stamens 35 (or appearing 13 from fusion), anthers often > filaments, twisted together; ovary ± inferior, chambers generally 5, placentas parietal, ± growing into chambers, styles 13, stigmas generally lobed, large
Fruit: berry (sometimes drying) or capsule (irregularly dehiscent), generally gourd- or melon-like
Seeds 1many
Genera in family: 100 genera, 700 species: especially tropical; some cultivated (Citrullus ; Cucumis ; Cucurbita ; Sechium , chayote). Citrullus colocynthis var. lanatus has been reported as a weed in DSon.
Perennial from tuber, generally dioecious
Stem generally smooth, glabrous; tendril unbranched in CA
Leaf wide, lobed or angled
Inflorescences: racemes, panicles, or clusters, small; staminate inflorescence > pistillate inflorescence
Flower: corolla > 1 cm wide, rotate or shallowly cup-shaped; stigmas 3, each simple or 2-lobed
Fruit: berry, round, unarmed
Seeds several, not flat
Species in genus: 12 species: Eur, n Africa, w Asia
Etymology: (Greek: swelling, from sprouting of tuber each year)